


Day Sixteen || Renovate

by 365daysofsasuhina



Series: 365 Days of SasuHina 2019 [16]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-11 14:07:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17448428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/365daysofsasuhina/pseuds/365daysofsasuhina
Summary: An old family home empty for a decade is going to need a lot of TLC before Sasuke can move back in. But hopefully, he'll have some help.





	Day Sixteen || Renovate

“Well...here we are.” Turning the key, Sasuke lets the engine come to a standstill, the hum of the car now quiet. Dark eyes gaze through the windshield at the imposing building before them. 

It almost seems to stare back.

“...this is it…?”

“Mhm. It’s been…” How long  _ has _ it been…? “...well, a long time.  _ Too _ long. But after they died...we moved into the city with our aunt and cousin. So this place sat empty from then on.”

The pair sit in silence for a moment before Sasuke unbuckles his seatbelt. “Well...should we get out and look around…?”

Hinata nods, doing the same. Doors click to open and then shut as they leave the vehicle behind. “So this is where you grew up…?”

“Partially. I was seven when our parents died. Almost eight. I have quite a few memories here, but just as many - if not more - with my aunt and her son.”

She gives a thoughtful hum, staring up at the old house with pale, inquisitive eyes. “...so why now?”

“Huh?”

“Why come back here now? Did...something happen?”

“Not really. It’s just been on my mind lately.”

“Your brother doesn’t want it…?”

“Nah, he’s happy where he’s at. Besides, he has a steady job where they’re living now. And with two kids already, he’s not fond of the idea of packing everybody up and moving.”

“Ah, that’s a good point. This place is so big...do you really need that much room…?”

“Well... _ we _ might need this much room.”

Her gaze snaps to him. “...I…?”

“C’mon, Hinata.” Sasuke manages a soft yet teasing smile. “It’s gonna happen one of these days, right? We’ve been dating almost four years now...think it might be time to move in together?”

“But this place is...is huge! And -!”

“I’m not moving in  _ tomorrow _ \- it’s gonna need a lot of work before anyone can live in it. It’s been sitting empty for over a decade now. Think of it more like...my eventual forever home. Work on it bit by bit, and by the time I’m ready to settle down...it’ll be here. All spruced up and ready to be lived in again.”

Hinata stares at him, clearly a bit taken aback. “I...I g-guess that makes sense…” Her gaze then averts, flushing a light pink. “And you...you really see me here with you…? When that happens?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, true: we’re each the other’s first long-term relationship, but...doesn’t that kinda hint that maybe we made good choices?”

“...I guess so. It just seems, um...far in the future.”

“...do you not want -?”

“N-no! That’s - that’s not what I mean!” Hinata quickly backtracks, waving desperate hands. “I just…! I guess I...just haven’t thought that far ahead…”

“Well one of us has to,” he rebukes, but not without a grin as she pouts at him. “C’mon, I’ll give you a tour.”

Taking out a keyring his aunt gave him, Sasuke unlocks the front door. The inside is bare: any and all furniture was sold after his aunt moved them out. Flicking a light switch does nothing, which...he honestly predicted. “Guess we’ll have to settle with opening curtains, huh?” 

The house is old, modeled after styles of a bygone era. Paper screens and sliding doors, tatami mats and big beams. And rooms upon rooms upon rooms.  Many of the screens are discolored, a few torn...doors askew from their tracks, and a few tatami mats have holes in them. Whether rotten or mouse-chewed, he’s not sure. Note one: hire an exterminator, just in case.

“Watch your step.”

As they walk, Sasuke can’t help but see ghosts on memories play out: furniture reappears in his mind’s eye, his brother and parents walking around as though part of a shaky film reel. Warm Summer light makes the walls shine gold and the air smell sweet.

For a moment, he finds himself immersed in the past.

“...Sasuke…?”

A blink, and it’s gone. “...sorry. Just, uh...remembering.”

They continue on, Sasuke pointing out the purpose of each room. “This one was mine.” A door opens to a small, quaint bedroom. “Kinda undersized now though, huh?”

“A little, yes,” she can’t help but agree with a light laugh.

The back door opens into an overgrown, Winter-sleeping garden. Ice clings to the banks of an ornamental stream.

“This place is amazing...and yet so sad…”

“Yeah...it’s been in the family for generations.” A hand gestures. “Think you could work your magic out here, miss botanist?”

Hinata gives him a look, stepping out into the gravel. “...I can see it was once very beautiful.”

“Both my mom and her sister were avid gardeners. Whenever she’d come visit, this is where they’d be without fail. Even in the Winter. Itachi, Shisui and I played out here all the time.”

More flickering visions of times long past bring the gardens back to life. Green and full, they were the perfect places to play hide and seek, or make believe of any kind. They were little samurai and ninja back then, fighting epic battles with paper shuriken and bamboo rod swords. Mikoto and Manami were the empresses in needing of defending. It was so long ago, and yet he can still see it all so clearly…

_ Kāsan… _

“Oh, look!”

Snapping back to attention, Sasuke follows to where Hinata’s dug into a thicket of weeds. “See that? It’s a lily! A type that blooms in the Winter! Poor thing’s being choked out…” She starts pulling at the overgrowth, mouth set in a determined line.

“Guess I’ll leave renovating the gardens to you, huh?”

“I certainly wouldn’t mind. My mother loved flowers, too...her name even referred to them. I think that’s where I got it from.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it.”

Eventually, the short Winter day begins to darken, and Sasuke takes them back inside. “Think we better button things up.” A flashlight on his keyring clicks on.

“At least no vandals have found it.”

“Yeah, lucky. Then again it’s so off the main road, it’s a bit easy to miss.”

“Hopefully no one see us leAHH!”

Spinning around, Sasuke startles as Hinata cries out. Her foot’s gone straight through a tatami mat. 

“H-help!” she laughs, holding out a hand.

“How did that not happen the first time?!”

“I don’t know!”

It’s an easy lift to free her, the pair moving closer to the walls until they reach the front door. “Okay…! I...I think that’s enough adventure for one day…!”

“You didn’t twist your ankle, did you?”

“No, no - I’m fine. It just...scared me! I w-wasn’t expecting it!”

Sasuke still looks to her critically, waiting for a stumble as an excuse to just haul her to the car himself. But they make it out without further incident, locking the door and gate back up before retreating to the vehicle.

“...well…?”

“It’s...definitely in need of some work. But I can see all the old charm to it...and the home it used to be.”

“Think you could stand to live there for the rest of your life when the time comes?”

“So long as I don’t go sinking through any more floors,” she replies with a laugh.

“...are you sure…?”

Hinata slowly sobers. “...yes. Why are you so...adamant about it…?”

Well, this isn’t exactly how he planned to do this, but… Sasuke reaches into a pocket, fiddling for a moment before pulling out a box.

Hinata’s eyes go round as the moon.

“...because I want it - and everything else in my life - to be yours, too. Including me. For all time.” There’s a small click as he opens the ring box. “Hyūga Hinata...will you marry me…?”

Staring at the piece of jewelry for a long moment, Hinata then launches across the car to embrace him as best she can in the confined space. “Yes! Y-yes, a thousand times yet!”

Dark eyes pinch shut, taking a moment to reel in the full feeling in his chest.

“...then we better get started.”

**Author's Note:**

> PHEW, this is a little on the late side, but I had a long day in town today, and then things to take care of this evening! But it's not midnight yet here, so...yay!
> 
> I love love love this idea, and it came really easily to me, thankfully. Some prompts aren't that kind, haha! I want to see Sasuke reclaim his childhood home, and fill it back up with lots of SasuHina babies, heh heh~
> 
> Anywho, I've got lots still to write tonight so I'll leave it there - thanks so much for reading!


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